Florida Native Plant Society Blog

Richard Poole was one of the original members of the Florida Native Plant Society’s Cuplet Fern Chapter , established in 2010. His longtime experience in plant and bird biology led to his love for propagating native plants, making bird boxes, and sharing his knowledge of plants and bird life in Florida. At our monthly meetings, Richard would bring a variety of plants for members to take home. He would explain how the plants would grow and support Florida birds, insects, and butterflies, which would encourage more backyard birdlife. At every plant sale, he would display his posters featuring bird migration patterns and local bird nesting. Children and adults alike enjoyed the wonderful photos of young nesting birds. Richard always had several homemade bird boxes to take home. He would explain how certain native plants were food sources for birds and encourage people to add them to their butterfly gardens. Richard was passionate in promoting how the relationship between bird biology and

Left to Right - Ruth & Dean Leferink, Allen, Diane Reppert & Sandi Wise. Allen Wise ran Shady Oaks Gather All, an old-style roadside plant nursery on Highway 301 in Sumterville where he offered a mix of native, edible and Florida-friendly plants. His many loyal customers will continue to remember what he taught them about the plants that he nurtured. By making Florida native plants available to homeowners, Allen was a wonderful advocate for attracting pollinators and supporting butterflies in home landscapes. While volunteering as a Sumter County Master Gardener, Allen annually put together a native plant exhibit at the Sumter County Fair. He was always eager to donate his time at native plant shows and for 20 years was a faithful member of the Florida Association of Native Nurseries ( FANN ). He was a founding member of, and for years served as an officer for, the Sumter County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society ( FNPS ), which disbanded soon after Allen found he had